Punching mechanism



July 6, 1943. K. J. BR'AuN Y 2,323,790

PUNCHING MECHANISM Filed May 7, '1942 I 4 Sheets-Sheet l z I INVENTOR I K A R Jv BRAUN m t x Q I N 5% L ATTORNEY y 19437 K. J. BRAUN ,323,790

PUNCHING MECHANISM Filed May 7, 1942 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 lllLbLlLl a o o a u n a OnQauFn FIG. 2

lNVENTOR KARL J. BRAUN AT TO RNE Y.

July 6, 1943. K J, BRAUN PUNCHING MECHANISM Filed May 7, 1942 4 sheets sheet 5 mvcu-ron KARL J BRAUN BY )2 A Jil AT TOR NEY July 6, 1943. I J BRAUN 2,323,790 Q PUNCHIN'G MECHANISM Filed May 7, 1942 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 tNVENTOR KARL J. BRAUN v gLzjLl ATTORNEY Patented July 6, 1943 PUNCHING MECHANISM Karl J. Braun, North Merrick, Long Island, N. Y., assignor to Remington Rand Inc., Buffalo, N. Y., a corporation of Delaware Application May'l', 1942, Serial No. 442,053

Claims.

This invention relates to punching machines, and particularly to machines for'punching holes in tapes according to various codes.

The present machine was designed primarily for use in large institutions, such, for example, as department stores, wherein each sales girl, or group of sales girls, may employ one of these punches to record itemized sales, etc., upon a roll of tape, so that at the ends of given periods these tapes may be collected, and run through a machine which will interpret the punchings on the tapes, and transfer the data to statistical cards. Thereafter the cards may be used with standard tabulating equipment.

One object of the present invention is the recording of data upon a tape by means of a simple punching mechanism.

Another object is the punching of special holes in a tape, which holes may be employedto feed and guide it.

ience of showing;

Fig. 2 is a rear elevation of the machine;

Fig. 3 is a sectional elevational view taken substantially along the line 3-3 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a plan view of the punch mechanism; and

Fig. 5 shows a portion of the perforatedtape.

In the following description the expressions right-hand and left-hand etc., refer, respectively, to the right and left hands of an operator facing the front of the machine.

Referring to Fig. l, the framing of the ma chine consists generally of two upright brackets or main frames I and 2 screwed or otherwise secured toa base plate 3, which, in turn, is fastened to a larger base 4. Mounted upon the base t, and to the left of the machine itself, is a pair of adjustable uprights 5 slotted with keyhole slots at 6 and l to accommodate between them a formed pin 8, upon which may be mounted a roll of blank tape 9.

The punch section of the present device is in many respects similar to that shown and described in the Patent -No. 1,086,397, issued to James Powers on February 10, 1914. Unlikethe punch mechanism disclosed in the Powers patent,

however, the present mechanism is designed particularly for punching coded perforations in a tape, rather than for punching them directly in a statistical card.

Punch setting and punching mechanism the tape and are then raised. During this raising operation retract mechanism is efiective to permit the return of the setting slides to normal position. Referring to .Figs. 1, 3, and 4, the machine is equipped with a top cover plate II which has generally the shape of an inverted U, and is fastened by screws to the main frames l and 2. The plate H is recessed in three places, namely, at l2, l3, and M (Fig. 4). The recess |2is to permitprojectionsof thesetting-slide detents to pro- .trude so that the operator may manually retract any setting slide at will.

The recess I 3 constitutes an opening beneath which may be seen thefaces of thesetting slides, each of which faces is numbered from 0-9, inclusive. It is through this opening that the operator inserts a stylus in notches in the various setting slides and pulls them down difierentially to set positions. The recess I4 is merely a sight opening for disclosing to the operator in a convenient fashion the amounts which have been set up on the slides. A detaileddescription of these setting slides on their associated punching mechanism now follows:

Lying directly beneath the cover plate II is a plurality of manuallyoperable setting slides I5 .(Fig. 3), each of which has riveted or otherwise suitably secured thereto, at right angles, to its top,

a narrow strip l6 upon which there are, engraved or otherwise suitably marked two sets of numerals from 0-9, inclusive. One set of these numerals appears in the opening I3, while the other set of numerals is so positioned as to appear in the sight opening Id. The sight opening 14, however, is only large enough to show one numeral at a time. Strips l6 are equipped with small notches IBA (one for'eachnumeral) into which notches the operator inserts a stylus. She then pulls the stylus down until it limits on the bottom of the opening I3, which positions the same numeral under the sight opening l4, as can be seen at the very bottom of the opening l3. It is to be understood, of course, that the setting slides |5 are movable differentially in this manner, so that they may be set to show any numeral from to 9. Each setting slide I is supported and guided by a comb bar I1 and a comb bar l8. These comb bars extend from side to side of the machine and are fastened to the main frames and 2. Riveted to the left hand faces of the setting slides |5, as seen from the front of the machine, are connecting pieces l9, each formed with a slot 29 therein, which cooperates with a pin 2|. The pins 2| are made fast in the control slides 22 so that any movement, forward or rearward in the machine, of the setting slides l5 will cause a corresponding movement in the same direction of the control slides 22. During the actual punching operation the control slides 22, together with the punches, are lowered, while the setting slides l5 are not permitted such movement. Thus the connection therebetween is maintained by pin 2| moving in slot 29. As is seen in Fig. 3, each control slide 22 is formed with a plurality of lugs 24 thereon, which lugs force the punches through the tape during punching operations. These lugs 24 can be made of various widths and can be variously spaced according to the particular code it is desired to use. In the present instance a two-hole combinational code is employed. Control slides 22 are mounted for forward and rearward sliding movement in a frame which consists of a lower plate 25, front and rear support bars 26 and 21, front and rear guide combs 28 and 29 fastened respectively to bars 26 and 21, an upper retaining bar 30 which serves not only to hold the control slides in the punch frame, but also as a limit stop for the rearward motion of these slides, and a pair of end plates 23. The entire punch frame is supported at each side of the machine upon a U-shaped link 32 (see also Figs. 1 and 2) each link being pivotally connected at 33 to forwardly extending rock arm 34 mounted on a rock shaft 35, which, as can best be seen in Fig. 2, is journaled in the side frames and 2. It is to be understood at this point that each time the shaft 35 is rocked a lowering and raising of the punches and associated control slides is effected. As is best shown in Fig. 3, four rows of punches 36 extend through the plate 25 and downwardly through plates 31 and 38 into a plate 39 to a position normally above the tape 9. The plates 31, 38, and 39 are all fastened upon two cross rails 40 and 4|, which cross rails are fastened to the main frames I and 2 of the machine. The punches 36, as is old and well known, are notched to permit wires 43 to pass therethrough, and thus prevent displacement of the punches 36 on the upstroke of the punching frame after punching has been accomplished. Wires 43 are retained in place by the brackets 44. Directly beneath the plate 39 is mounted a die plate 45, upon which the tape 9 rests. This plate 45 is fastened to over-turned portions of brackets 46, which brackets are fastened upon the main frames and 2. A removable box 41 is provided for the purpose of catching the punchings. In the present machine the normal position of control slides 22 is that shown in Fig. 3, wherein the foremost lug 24 is positioned over the rearmost or zero punch 36. One step of movement forward of any of the control slides 22 is equivalent to the distance between the center lines of any two punches 36.

In order to hold the setting slides l5 and control slides 22 in the positions to which they may be differentially set by the machine operator, a detent mechanism is provided which will now be described.

Pivoted upon a cross shaft 50 (see particularly Fig. 3) there is a plurality of detents 5|, one for each slide I5. The detents are formed at their forward ends with toes 52, which engage with teeth 53 cut in the slides I5. The toes 52 are suitably guided in the comb bar |8. Each detent 5| is formed with a depending arm 54 to which is anchored one end of a spring 55, the opposite end of which is anchored in the associated connecting piece I9. Each spring 55 serves a twofold purpose in the present machine, viz., to urge its associated slides l5 and 22 toward their normal or rearward positions and to urge the toe 52 of an associated detent 5| into the teeth 53 of a slide I5. Each detent 5| is also provided with a pair of upright finger pieces 56 which, as was previously mentioned, extend through the opening |2 in the plate I Thus, should the operator incorrectly set a slide l5, she need only press the finger piece 56 to disengage the detent from the slide and permit the spring 55 to return it to normal. During punching operations of the machine, all the detents 5| are withdrawn from their associated slides I5, as soon as punching itself has taken place, by an automatic retract mechanism, which will later be described.

D'rive mechanism The present machine is driven by a manually operated crank 60, which, as can best be seen in Figs. 1 and 2, is fast upon the right-hand end of a main rock shaft 6|. The crank 60 is pulled toward the front of the machine and returned to effect a punching and tape feeding operation. It is to be understood, however, that the machine can just as well be motor driven. Fastened by screws or other suitable means to support bars 62 and 63, which bars are fastened respectively to the main frames 2 and l, is a supporting plate 65, which runs laterally across the front of the machine and has an ear 66 bent rearwardly therefrom. The main shaft 6| is journaled in the ear 66 and in the frames l and 2, and is held against lateral movement by suitable collars as shown. Mounted upon the shaft 6| are the driving devices for four separate mechanisms, namely, the automatic retract mechanism, the punch lowering and raising mechanism, the full stroke mechanism, and the tape feeding mechanism. These mechanisms will now be described in detail, beginning with the mechanism for raising and lowering the punches.

Referring to Figs. 2 and 3, there is fast on the main shaft 6| a two piece box cam 10, in which there rides a roller 1| pivoted upon a rock plate 12, which plate is fast upon the rock shaft 35. It will be recalled that an arm 34, also fast upon this shaft 35, is connected to each of the U- shaped links 32, which, in turn, are connected to the frame which carries the punches 36. As the main shaft 6| is rocked forward and rearward, box cam 10 is moved degrees, and, as a result, the roller 1 is forced first up and then down and this in turn results in lowering and raising the arms 34 and links 32 to force the punches 36 through the tape 9 and then up to normal posiof the machine into a lug ZIZ (Fig. 3).

tion. The means for turning the box cam Ill toeffect this is as follows:

'As is shown in Figs. 2 and 3, the'outer portion of the box cam I is fastened to and spaced from a four toothed ratchet wheel 200 by studs 28L The inner portion of the box cam "III is fastened "to'one face of the enlarged portion 293 of a shouldered hub 282 (see Fig. 2).

Fastened to the opposite face of the enlarged hub portion 203 is the four toothed ratchet wheel 200. Thus, the entire assembly Zill], 2M, 202, and 203, which is loose'upon'shaft 6 I, turns as a unit. Fastened to shaft 6| by a hub- '204 (Fig. 2) is a 'two armed lever 205 (Fig. 3). The forward end of this lever terminates in a finger 296 which coacts with shaft 35 to limit the return movement of shaft 6|, and arm 285. The rearward end of lever 205 has pivoted thereupon a pawl 28'! which is urged into the teeth of ratchet 200 by a spring 288, which is anchored in arm 205. Loosely mounted upon shaft 35, there is a detent 2H] having a depending arm 2| I, the lower end of which is bent 01f toward the right-hand side The lug H2 is urged into the-teethof ratchet 258 by a spring 2| 3.

From the foregoing it is seen that when the operating handle 60 is pulled forward, pawl 201 will rotate box cam 70 and ratchet 280 ninety degrees, and detent 2) will ride the periphery of ratchet 280 and drop into the next tooth.

This 90 degree movement results in moving the 'roller II up and down, thus lowering and then raising the punches 36. On the return of handle 60, detent 210 holds the box cam "III while pawl 20'! returns to starting positionand engages a new ratchettooth.

In order to insure the complete rocking of shaft BI in each direction, a well known fullstroke mechanism is employed. Fast upon the shaft 6| there is a full-stroke sector "I3 which is formed with teeth I4 (see Fig. 3) therein. A

pawl I5 is'constantly urged to its normal position (Fig. 3) by a spring 16. Thus, when the shaft BI is rocked ineither direction, the pawl 15 clicks past the teeth M'enforcinga full movement'of the shaft't'i, as is'old and well known.

The means operable by the main shaft 6| for feeding the tape fl'through the punch-will now-be described.

Referring to Figs. 1 and 2, and particularly to Fig. 2, there is mounted a little to'the right of the center of shaft SI and fast thereupon a beveled gear H, which meshes with a bevel gear 18 pivoted upon a stub shaft '59, which shaft is mounted upon the cross brace 65. Loosely mounted upon the stub shaft E9, in front of the gear 18 and cross brace 65, is a drum 80 equipped with three feeding teeth 8| spaced 120 degrees apart. These teeth 8| engage holes I38 in the tape 9 (Fig. 5), which holes are made by a special punch 82, at the same time that the code punchings are impressed upon the tape. Fast tothe drum 80 and lying between the drum and the cross brace 65 are two ratchets 83 and 84. Each ratchet has cut in its periphery four evenly spaced teeth 85, the teeth 85 of one ratchet facing in the opposite direction from the teeth of the other. Fast to the hub of gear 18 is an arm 81, upon the end of which there is pivoted a pawl 88. As is best seen in Fig. 2, this pawl 88 is normally in engagement with one of the teeth 85 of ratchet 83. From the foregoing it is seen that whenever the operating crank 60 ispulled toward the front of the machine, the gearTI-willblrotate the gear I8 clockwise (Fig. 2) and cause the pawl 88 to ride over the periphery of its associated ratchet 83 until it engages the next adjacent tooth 85 thereon. On the return stroke of the operating handle, the pawl -88 rotates the ratchet 83, and consequently, ratchet 84 and the drum 8!] counterclockwise, as seen in Fig. 2, and this causes the teeth 8| of drum 80 to draw the tape 9 out of the punch chamber. It is to be understood that the punches are forced through the tape 9 during the time the pawl 88 travels from its normal position to its mid-position or, in other words, during the forward stroke of the operating handle 60.

There is provided a detent pawl 90 pivoted at 9| upon the cross brace 65. This pawl 90 cooperates with the teeth of the ratchet 84 and prevents a counter-clockwise (Fig. 2) rotation of the drum '80 at such times as the operating handle 60 is in normal position, thus preventing overthrow of drum 8!]. The-pawl 90 is urged against the periphery of the ratchet 84 by a spring 92 anchored upon the lower arm of the pawl 90 and upon a pin 93 fast in a rock arm 94, which rock arm is also pivoted at 9|. The arm 81, fast to the hub of gear '18, is formed with a depending portion 95 having a cam surface 96 thereon. At the end of each forward stroke of the operating handle I50, the cam surface 96 engages a pin 91 on pawl 90 and lifts the pawl free of the teeth of the ratchet. On the return stroke of the handle 60 the ratchets 83 and 3%, together with the associated drum 80, beganto move counterclockwise (as seen in Fig. 2), before the cam surface 96 releases the pawl 90, in consequence whereof, the pawl 90 rides the periphery of ratchet 84,'until the return stroke has been completed, at which time it drops into the next adjacent tooth of said cam.

The mechanism for automatically retracting all of the detents 5|, which hold the setting slides I5 in place after they are set, will now be described.

Referring to Fig. 1, the rock lever 94 has pivotally mounted thereon the right-hand end of a link I80, the left-hand end of which is pivotally attached to thedepending arm of a bellcrank I02. The other arm of the bell-crank I92 is pivotally attached to the lower end of a link I04, which link is slotted at I 5| and is mounted thereby upon a fixed pin I 63. Whenever the link I!!!) is pulled toward the right-hand side of the machine, as will be fully explained hereinafter, bell-crank I I32 is rocked counter-clockwise, which results in the raising of the link I 06. The'link I04 constantly underlies the 'forward end of a centrally pivoted rock lever I05, the rear end of which is pivotally connected to an upright link I06, which terminates in a finger piece I01. Near its upper end the link I536 is notched (dot-dash outline Fig. 3) to'embrace a retract bail-bar I08, so that each time the link isdepressed the retract 'bail IUBis pulled down and rocks all the detents 5| out of engagement with the teeth53 and their associated racks I5, permitting springs 55 to-return the racks to normal position. The link I06 is depressed in either one of two ways. First, it can be depressed by merely pressing the-fingerpiece I01 down, and, second,.it can be depressed by action of the linkage I Il|.llll4, the raising of link I Meffecting depression of'link'l 06 throughthe centrally pivoted lever "I05. I Returning to Fig. 2, it is seen that therock arm "94 is alsofp'rovided Witha-tooth $8 which tooth, in the normal position of the machine, engages a tooth 85 of the ratchet wheel 83 and prevents clockwise rotation, as seen in Fig. 2, of ratchets 83 and 84 during the forward stroke of the operating handle 60 at a time when the pawl 88 is moving toward a new tooth 85. Also, as the pawl 88 begins its return stroke moving ratchet 83, this ratchet acting upon the tooth 98 of rock arm 94, cams the rock arm clockwise, and this pulls the link I toward the right to operate the retract mechanism just described, and holds it operated until almost the very end of the return stroke of handle 60.

As is best seen in Fig. l, the tape 9 is fed from the bottom of the roll over a guide piece I I0 having ears III bent up therefrom. This piece H0 is made in the shape of a bail having a pair of depending arms I I2, which arms are pivoted upon a stud II3 fast on the frame plate 65. A second bail I I4 pivoted at I I5 upon the depending arms H2, is drawn down upon the top of the tape 9. A spring III anchored upon one of the arms H2 and upon a fixed frame stud urges the entire guide piece IIO counter-clockwise. Since the tape 9 passes under bail H4, through the punch chamber, and then out on to the periphery of drum 80, it is seen that the springs H6 and II! keep, at all times, a slight tension upon the tape 9. After passing about the drum 80, the tape 9 then passes on to a rewind roll II8, which roll H8 is driven in a direction opposite to that of the drum 80 by means of a belt or band I20, which band is driven directly by the drum 80.

The rewind roll H8 is carried on a U-shaped member I30, of spring metal, which is secured to the end of a stub shaft I3I mounted in plate 65 and having secured thereon a grooved pulley wheel I32. The rewind roll may be any form of cylinder of cardboard or other suitable material having a slot therein for anchoring the end of the tape. The roll is slipped over the member I30, which holds it in place in such manner that it can be easily removed. The pulley wheel I32 is engaged and driven by the belt I which is, in turn, driven by the drum 80. The U-shaped member is shown in Fig. 3 without a rewind roll.

In order to insure that the machine is not further operated after the rewind roll II8 becomes filled, a feeler finger I23 (Fig. 1) is provided. This feeler finger is formed integral with a rock lever IZI pivoted at I22 upon a stud fixed in the cross brace 65. The feeler finger I23 is adapted to rest upon the tape gathered on the rewind roll II8. Lever I2I is also formed with an upright adjustable blocking finger I25. A spring I26 is anchored at one end to the rock lever I2I and at its opposite end to the pin upon which the spring III is anchored. When the size of the rewind roll attains a certain optional maximum, the feeler finger I23, which has been gradually rocked counter-clockwise (as seen in Fig. 1) permits the over-the-center spring I26 to snap the rock lever I2I further counter-clockwise and bring the upright arm I thereof against the side of the centrally pivoted retract lever I05. If, after this has happened, the machine is operated, then at the end of the forward stroke the link I04 will raise the forward end of lever I05 and permit the upright arm I25 to pass in under lever I05. This, of course, results in the retract mechanism remaining operated from that point on, so that the setting slides, while they can be pulled down, cannot remain set and the operator is thus notified that the rewind roll must be removed, and the lever I2I reset to the position shown in Fig. 1.

In order to designate the data being entered by the individual slides, recesses I40 are provided in the cover plate II, into which slips of any suitable material may be inserted carrying the designative data.

In summation, the setting sl des l5 a first Set by the operators stylus and this sets punch control slides 22 to position them differentially over the punches 36 (see Fig. 3). The operating handle 60 is then pulled forward, which results in punching the desired code-holes in tape 9 (Fig. 5), and also in punching a feed hole I38 in this tape by means of special punch 82 (Fig. 1). On the return stroke of the operating handle, the drum is rotated, thus pulling the tape 9 out of the punch chamber and on to the drum 80 and rewind roll II8. Also, on the return stroke, the automatic retract mechanism of the machine is operated through the linkage I00-I06, to cause retraction of all the setting slides I5 and their associated control slides 22.

In Fig. 5 is shown a portion of the tape 9 with the code perforation from 0-9, inclusive.

While I have described what I consider to be a highly desirable embodiment of my invention, it is obvious that many changes in form could be made without departing from the spirit of my invention, and I, therefore, do not limit myself to the exact form herein shown and described, nor to anything less than the whole of my invention as hereinbefore set forth, and as hereinafter claimed.

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. In a machine of the class described, the combination of a plurality of manually settable setting slides, a plurality of punches, means operable by said setting slides for controlling said punches, means operable to move said punches and said punch controlling means to effect code punching upon a tape, means for maintaining a tension on said tape, means for punching feed holes in said tape concomitantly with the punching of code holes therein, means cooperating with said feed holes for feeding said tape to and from said punches, means for winding said tape on a spool after each punching operation, means for holding said setting slides in the various positions to which they may be set, means for disabling said holding means to permit retraction of said slides, and means operable by said tape winding means for locking said last mentioned means in active position.

2. In a machine of the class described, the combination of a plurality of manually settable setting slides, a plurality of punches, means operable by said setting slides for controlling said punches, means operable to move said punches and said punch controlling means to effect code punching upon a tape, means including a guide piece and a gripping device cooperative therewith for maintaining a tension on said tape, means for punching feed holes in said tape concomitantly with the punching of code holes therein, means including a drum having teeth thereon for cooperation with said feed holes for feeding said tape, means operable by said drum for winding said tape on a spool after each punching operation, means for holding said setting slides in the various positions to which they may be set, means for disabling said holding means to permit retraction of said slides, and means operable by said tape winding means for locking th last mentioned means in active position.

3. In a machine of the class described, the combination of a plurality of manually settable setting slides, a plurality of punches, means operable by said setting slides for controlling said punches, means operable to move said punches and said punch controlling means to efiect code punching upon a tape, means including a springpressed guide piece and a gripping device cooperative therewith for maintaining a tension on said tape, a punch separate from the code punches for punching feed holes in said tape concomitantly with the punching of code holes therein, means operable by said drum for winding said tape on a spool after each punching operation, means for holding said setting slides in the various positions to which they may be set, a key operable to disable all said setting slide holding means, means manually operable to individually disable one and another of said setting slide holding means, means for automatically disabling said holding means to permit retraction of said slides after each punchin operation, and means operable by said tape winding means for locking said last mentioned means in active position.

4. In a machine of the class described, the combination of a plurality of manually settable setting slides, a plurality of punches, means operable by said setting slides for controlling said punches, a main operating shaft, means operable by said main shaft during the forward stroke thereof to move said punches and said punch controlling means to effect code punching upon a tape, means for maintaining a tension on said tape, means for punching feed holes in said tape concomitantly with the punching of code holes therein, a drum, means operable on the return stroke of said main shaft for turning said drum to feed said tape, means for winding said tape on a spool after each punching operation, means for holding said setting slides in the various positions to which they may be set, means for dis- 'abling said holding means to permit retraction of said slides, and means operable by said tape means for lockin said last mentioned means in active position.

5. In a machine of the class described, the combination of a plurality of manually settable setting slides, a plurality of punches, means operable by said setting slides for controlling said punches, a main operating shaft, means operable by said main shaft during the forward stroke thereof to move said punches and said punch controlling means to effect code punching upon a tape, means for maintaining a tension on said tape, means for punching holes in said tape concomitantly with the punching of code holes therein, a drum, a pair of ratchets mounted on said drum, means operable on the return stroke of said main shaft for actuating one of said ratchets to turn said drum and feed said tape, a pair of detents cooperative with said ratchets to normally prevent rotation of said drum in either direction, means operable at the end of the forward stroke of said main shaft to disable one of said ratchet detents, means for winding said tape on a spool after each punching operation, means for holding said setting slides in the various positions to which they may be set, means operable by one of said ratchets on the return stroke of said main shaft for disabling said holding means to permit retraction of said slides, and means 0perable by said tape winding means for locking said last mentioned means in active position.

KARL J. BRAiJN. 

